Our Life Before Her
by TheInvaderZimFanGirl
Summary: Chell and Wheatley have met before Portal 2... in high school. This is their life before GLaDOS ruined it all. Chelly.
1. Meeting Him

**Hi guys! This is my first Portal fan fiction and I'm really nervous on how the public will like it. This is basically a prologue to Portal and Portal 2. Please give me reviews… and I'm not sure if I'm off Wheatley's character, so please tell me that too.**

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I don't own Portal, Valve does. The end. End of story.**

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

Chell walked down the hall towards passing, everyone staring at the new girl. She clutched her books to her chest and started walking to her locker, which was rusty and old. She got the worst of the worst, being one of the last students to register here.

Chell was actually a genius, part of the Advanced Academic Program in this school. Everyone wasn't just staring at her because she was new; it was because she was different.

"Thank gosh, lunch." She muttered as she grabbed a brown paper sack.

As she entered the lunchroom, she looked for a table to sit at. She browsed the area seeing if there was an empty table, she wanted to eat alone. She then saw a scraggly blond haired, awkwardly tall, boy sitting at a table by himself.

_No. You're going to eat alone._

She continued to walk to an unoccupied table, but her heart was pulling onto her.

_Come on, he's lonely. He looks really sad, go sit by him. You can make a friend for once._

Listening to her mind, she walked over to the table where the boy was sitting. She tapped his shoulder and smiled.

"Hi… may I sit here?" she shyly said.

The boy looked shocked. "Y-you… you want to uh… well… sure!" He said with a smile. Chell then sat down next to the boy.

"I'm Michelle Johnson. Chell for short, I just started school today." Chell exclaimed. She took a bite of her sandwich.

"I'm… Wheatley. Wheatley Moore. I-I er… like your name… it's really pretty, and it suits you and…" Wheatley kept rambling on for a couple minutes.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be um… talking a lot. Tell me, what classes are you in?" Wheatley said, trying to keep the conversation together.

Chell sighed, and rolled her eyes. "I'm in the stupid genius program; I honestly think it's too easy. I'd rather just go onto college already." Chell really did hate being a genius.

"H-hey! I'm in the genius program too! But… you think it's easy?" He hesitates for a moment. "Psh, yeah, totally easy."

Chell briefly smiled, and looked at him for a moment. She instantly felt her cheeks turning red, and she said without thinking, "Would you like to come over to my parent's work today?" She was shocked once she said it.

"Really? Uh… I t-think I could… y'know. If you wanted to…" Wheatley shyly smiled and nodded.

"Meet me after school, by the bike rack." Chell explained. "We'll walk from there. "

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

Chell got up and started walking to her next class.

"I-I can't believe it, my first American friend!"

"I can't believe he said yes!"


	2. Aperture Science

**Hello Everyone! Thank you for your positive reviews on the last chapter, and I'm sorry it was short. I will take all your advice, and this chapter will definitely be longer.**

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

School was finally over, after a long day Chell walked slowly to the bike rack, waiting for Wheatley. She leaned her back against the bike rack and waited.

She waited for about 10 minutes, and then she sighed and started to walk down the sidewalk towards her parents work. Chell then heard a voice calling out to her.

"Chell! H-hey Chell! Wait up!" It was Wheatley, at the sound of this she turned around with a smile. He was running, his hair was scruffier then before, and his glasses were crooked.

"Hey! Where were you?" Chell observed him, and it seemed like he had been in a fight of some sort. She suddenly felt worried for him.

"Oh... Um… err… I just got sh-shoved into a locker. No biggy, it happens all the time." He explained like it was the everyday norm.

"What? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she analyzed him for any harm and then processed the last part. "Happens all the time? You need to tell someone!" She showed a genuine look of caring, a look that Wheatley didn't see all the time.

"It's honestly no big deal." Wheatley said. He was then worried that Chell was too worried, and decided to change the conversation

"So, what's the name of your parents company?"

"Aperture Science, I'm an intern there, and I design lots of robots and personality cores." Chell explained. "I also help build some of the robots."

Wheatley's eyes widened, "You build _r-robots?_ Wow, you must be a bloody genius." Wheatley turned and looked at her eyes, and instantly blushed. He looked away not wanting her to notice.

"Yeah, I actually _am_ considered a genius, but I hate it." She explained, and she looked down. "What about you, where are you from?"

"Bristol, it's in the UK. My… um… my parents sent me here because of the advanced program here… but I don't think I'm doing well and I don't want to go back and.." before he started rambling on Chell stopped him.

"I could help you study. I have certain tricks."

"Like what? Photographic memory?" they laughed.

Chell saw Aperture in the distance, "Hey! There it is, race you!" She darted off, books in her arms.

"Huh... Hey wait up!" Wheatley smiled and started running.

_She's nice, sweet, extremely smart… and beautiful. But… she would never date me, would she? In my dreams._

_**He's funny, cute, smart, and kind. He would never date a classified genius, would he? In my dreams.**_

…

"And here's my office." Chell led him into a room about 8x8 sized with many blueprints scattered around. "Heh… sorry it's so messy."

Wheatley was in awe, meeting Caroline and Cave Johnson [LE GASP!], Chell's parents, and seeing the whole lab was phenomenal. He was amazed, and really wanted to work there.

He glanced at the many blueprints. "What's your biggest plan?" he questioned. Chell quickly went through many blueprints and pulled out one.

"I call it… GLaDOS. It's supposed to run Aperture labs once my parents are… gone." She looked down at the blueprints.

"Oh... uh… w-why not you?" He questioned.

"I'll be observing her, making sure that she doesn't do anything too dangerous, besides, I don't know what I'll do in the future. I have tons of things I want to do, Aperture isn't the only one."

"Oh…"

Suddenly, Cave's voice went over the intercom: ** All Aperture Employees and Guests must return home. This means YOU Chell's boyfriend.**

They both instantly blushed.

"So… see you tomorrow?" Wheatley asked.

"Tomorrow's Saturday, it's a weird day for me to start, I know…"

"Would you like to go to the carnival with me tomorrow? I-it's in town and…" Wheatley started blushing.

Chell's eyes widened. "Would it be a date?"

Wheatley's eyes widened as well. "Well… um…err… if you _want."_

Chell nodded and gave him his address. She then smiled.

"See you tomorrow!" Chell said as he excited the door.

"Bye Chell."

As Wheatley walked out the door, he cheered, and as he left, Chell did the same.


	3. The Carnival

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the positive reviews! I think I have gotten better at writing in the past few months, and I'm ready to take on this chapter! Here we go!**

Chell slowly opened her eyes, first one eye, and then the other. She lifted herself up on her bed so she was sitting. She slowly stretched out her arms, and looked at her digital clock. Chell tried to process what her plans were for the day.

_Eat breakfast, maybe lay around all day in my PJ's… Wheatley. That's right; I'm supposed to hang out with him today! …right. It's a date. Oh god, oh god, what am I going to _wear?

She jumped out of bed, and stumbled to her closet, sweeping dirty clothes away from her path as she traveled. Chell opened her sliding closet and shuffled her hands through her limited amount of clothes. She finally settled upon a white skirt and a v-neck orange shirt. After quickly changing, she ran to her bathroom to do her hair.

"A pony tail will be fine, right? It's the carnival… but what if I don't look good in it?" She argued with herself for a few more seconds, before finally deciding to put it in a pony tail.

Chell ran down the stairs, nearly tripping in excitement. Wheatley was supposed to be there at 11. The clock said 10:52, and when she saw that, a jolt of nervousness ran through her body. She grabbed an apple, and quickly bit into it as she packed her purse.

"Chell?" her father's voice called.

"Yeah, dad?" She quickly turned to him, a bit irritated that he was interrupting her important business.

"Just… don't let him do anything that you don't want to do. You're an independent woman, just like your mother." Chell was shocked at these words. This was the first time that she could remember where her father was actually being serious. His usually, all-fun-during-everything attitude wasn't showing. She smiled, and hugged her dad.

"Okay daddy. I won't." She squeezed him for a second longer, and then continued to pack. Chell barely glanced at the clock, it was 10:59. He would be here any minute.

…

Wheatley slowly walked up to the door that was supposed to be Chell's. Along with his paranoia that he was at the wrong address, his uncle (who he has been staying with to do his studies) pressured him to make this one of the best dates, because he might not get another one. This made him tremble, and multiple scenarios went through his mind.

_What if I mess up? What if she hates me? Oh god. This is all a prank, the date, our friendship, everything. Okay, Wheatley, be brave. If it's a joke, you'll have a good laugh about it! _

His hands shaking, he rang the doorbell. Chell answered the door immediately, and he sighed a breath of relief. Wheatley then looked at her, as soon as he did, he was in awe.

"Man alive… I mean, you look great!" Wheatley said with a nervous tone.

"Really? I put this together last minute…" Chell said as she walked out the door. She waved goodbye to her parents, and then turned to Wheatley.

"So, are we walking, or riding a bus, or what?" She smiled, he returned the smile.

"Well, it's a lovely day… and I was thinking we could walk! U-unless you don't want to, that's perfectly fine! We could ride a bus, or a car! Or anything really!" He rambled about. She smiled, and could tell he was nervous. Secretly on the inside, the feelings were mutual.

As they walked to the carnival, they talked about random things, just to get to know each other. Chell felt great, because it wasn't awkward. This was her first date ever, and she wanted it to be like a dream.

Wheatley felt nervous every second they talked, being afraid that he was going to mess this up somehow.

They finally arrived at the carnival, where Wheatley insisted on paying for them. Chell agreed, after a while, and they entered the carnival. She immediately saw what she wanted to do.

"Hey, Wheats, can we do this first?" She pointed up to a gigantic rollercoaster. It looked old and rickety, which made Wheatley not want to do it.

"Uh… well…" He looked at her, she looked at him. Chell had a look of excitement in her eyes, and he didn't want to disappoint her, that might ruin everything. Wheatley clenched his fists in fear, and nodded. She then took his hand and ran in the very short line, where only one other person was standing. The other person was about the same age as Wheatley and Chell. He was very buff, with brown scruffy hair.

He turned around and noticed Chell. His look of no expression changed to a smile.

"Well _hello_ pretty lady! Name's Rick. What's a lady like you doin in a line for a ride like this?" Rick said in a flirty way.

Chell just ignored him, and he just backed away. Wheatley felt a surge of jealousy run through his veins. They ran to the track where the rollercoaster began.

"This isn't so bad, is it Wheatley?" Chell said as they were going up. Wheatley simply just shook his head. Rick chuckled at Wheatley's fear.

"I sure hope this doesn't… _break. _It's so rickety, it could break _any second._" Rick chuckled; this made Wheatley tremble a bit.

"Don't listen to him, it won't break." She said as she grabbed his hand. All his feelings of fear were wiped away, and he smiled as they went down the huge drop.

…

"That was so much fun! Y'know, I've never been on a rollercoaster before this!" Wheatley explained to Chell.

"Really? _That's_ why you were so scared!" She realized. They continued walking, when Wheatley saw something that caught his eye.

"Haunted House, wanna do it?" He asked, and then chuckled a bit. "The effects are probably so cheesy, especially at a local carnival like this." Chell nodded subconsciously.

_No. No no no no no! I don't want to do a Haunted House! I am so scared of those… bad childhood experience… but… he did something he was scared of for me… I'll return the favor. _

"Sure." She bravely said, but somehow, they were already in the Haunted House. She held his hand, as the slowly walked through the house. Wheatley was right, some "ghosts" popped out. The lights flickered, it wasn't that scary.

Soon they entered the attic, and the lights turned off.

"Oohhh. Sooo scary." Wheatley said, and chuckled a bit.

"Please stay where you are. We are having technical difficulties with the lighting." The announcer quickly said, but Chell couldn't help herself from moving.

"I got to get out of here!" Chell said with a scared tone.

"Wait! Love, d-don't leave!" He shouted and grabbed her hand, pulling it closer to him. In the dark, they were face to face, merely inches apart from each other. Wheatley leaned in, and kissed her.

The lights flickered back on, but they didn't seem to notice. The only thing each could notice was that their hearts were beating rapidly. Chell softly broke away from the kiss, smirking a bit.

"Does… does that make it official?" She asked him.

"Man alive…" he sighed to himself. "Make what official?" He said, with a confused look on his face.

"Are we… boyfriend and girlfriend?" She smiled. "I mean, I've never _dated _anyone before and…" she rambled on a bit more.

"We can make it official, if you want." He said, leaning in for another kiss.

**Gosh, that was tiring to write. How did I do? Oh, and don't worry, them going fast in the relationship is part of the story. The next chapter will be a couple years later, so no worries, right? Critique me as much as you want! Thanks for reading!**


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